University of Buckingham appoints Mark Rawlinson as new Chair of Council

The University of Buckingham is delighted to announce that Mark Rawlinson has been appointed as our new Chair of Council.

Mark has over 30 years of commercial experience as an adviser in the private sector – for the last 5 years as Chairman of UK Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley; and prior to that as a corporate partner at the international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he was regarded as one of the leading merger and acquisition lawyers worldwide, as well as holding senior management positions. He also has public sector experience having been the Lead Non-Executive at the Ministry of Justice for the last 3 years.

Mark is joining at a key time in the University’s development, and when major changes are taking place in the HE sector. University of Buckingham Vice-Chancellor, James Tooley, said: “Mark comes to us with considerable relevant and complementary experience in both public and private sectors. Everyone who has met him in the selection process has been greatly impressed by his calm integrity and breadth of understanding. He will be a great asset to the University and I am immensely looking forward to working with him”.

Speaking about his appointment Mark said: “With such a range of experts in Higher Education on Council – not least our Vice-Chancellor – as well as on Senate, I hope it will be helpful to have a Chair who comes at issues afresh without embedded opinions. I value Buckingham’s independence and the freedom to be different and to innovate which that independence brings. I recognise that I will be a trustee of this special and unique university with a duty to help improve it while I am here. I plan to be a visible presence on campus and look forward to meeting staff and students on my visits”.